ACR blog diversity 8

8 Hiring Strategies for Workplace Diversity

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By Spencer Greenwood

Sales & Delivery Manager

Workplace diversity has become top-of-mind for organizations across the country. According to SHRM, diversity hiring is defined as when companies recruit individuals with a collective mixture of differences and similarities that include individual characteristics, values and beliefs, experiences, and backgrounds.

Four Benefits of Workplace Diversity—And How to Achieve It

With more collaborative and team-oriented cultures, today’s companies are tasking their recruiters and talent acquisition teams to attract diverse candidates. Studies have shown that the composition of a diverse workforce presents significant competitive advantages for businesses, including:

  • Broader perspectives and ways of thinking
  • Greater creativity and innovation
  • Higher performing teams
  • Increased profitability
  • Reduced employee turnover
  • More effective customer service

It’s no wonder that—according to SHRM—57% of recruiters use strategies to attract diverse candidates. To address this growing workforce priority, talent acquisition teams have gotten creative to attract diverse candidates. Here are some strategies to promote an inclusive recruitment approach:

  1. Cut down on the number of qualifications required for the role

Experts like Sheryl Sandberg have studied the different ways in which men and women apply for jobs. She discovered that men apply for positions if they meet 60% of the requirements—whereas women only apply if they align with 100% of them. By limiting the number of qualifications within the job description to those that are actually required of the role, you will likely see more female candidates who choose to apply.

  1. Implement candidate scorecards into your recruitment process

An easy and effective way to make the recruiting process fairer for people of all backgrounds, the implementation of candidate scorecarding will enable your team to get on the same page in terms of the criteria that they are seeking for the role. This will ensure that expectations are aligned on the “must-have” skills and abilities that each candidate needs to possess. Here is an example of a candidate scorecard sample and template.

  1. Remove racial and gender biases from your job descriptions

Utilizing gender-inclusive language and neutral pronouns will go a long way in attracting—and not alienating—female candidates from applying for jobs. Avoid words and phrases implicitly biased against specific races or ethnicities, such as requiring “strong English skills,” “an ivy-league education,” or “clean/neat hairstyles.”

  1. Strip resumes of candidate names to eliminate potential biases from the recruiting process

Removing candidate names from resumes will help to evaluate individuals solely on their qualifications and experience. After all, you should be judging a candidate based on the skills and prior experience that they bring to the table, so this strategy can ensure that no other implicit biases impact hiring decisions.

  1. Conduct skill-based and behavioral assessments

Assessments like Plum and the Predictive Index present a great way to uncover minute details about a candidate’s behavioral tendencies. Organizations can also conduct skill-based tests through tools like eSkill to examine the candidate’s technical skills and provide further quantifiable metrics to be used within the recruiting process.

  1. Leverage social media channels to target diverse candidates

Posting open positions to diversity groups on sites like LinkedIn or even Facebook will maximize your recruiting efforts. Whether you are seeking to hire greater numbers of women or looking for more persons of color, be thoughtful and strategic when connecting these candidates to open positions within your organization.

  1. Encourage—and even incentivize—referrals from current employees

Promoting your workers to spread the word about open opportunities within your organization is a perfect way to diversify your talent network. Not only are referrals a great way to build your company’s employer brand, but they can provide your organization with an easy way of expanding the size of its candidate pool.

  1. Boost your employer brand

86 percent of job seekers consider an employer’s reputation on DEI&B (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) in their job search. To boost your employer brand, showcase your company’s journey and commitment to diversity on your website and social media platforms. Feature your employees in your recruitment marketing—in place of stock images. Throughout the entire candidate journey, weave in videos of workers sharing their own experiences of how diversity is welcomed within your organization.

Are you a hiring manager, recruiter, or talent acquisition professional interested in learning more about diversity hiring strategies? Check out Acara’s Interview Guide for valuable information on how to increase the effectiveness of your recruiting process.

Discover how your leadership team can stress the importance of diversity in the workforce here.

This blog was written by Acara Sales and Delivery Manager Spencer Greenwood.